Combating Poor Sleep Health among Collegiate Athletes: a Scoping Review

Sleep is crucial for numerous biological processes that influence both physiological and cognitive functions. In the athletic community, sleep health plays a vital role in overall well-being, recovery, and achieving optimal performance. A significant portion of collegiate student-athletes regularly experience sleep disturbances and poor sleep health. Poor sleep can stymie injury recovery and increase the risk of injuries among athletes.

Objective

The objective is to systematically identify the causes of poor sleep health among collegiate athletes and pinpoint practical strategies that improve sleep health.

Method

The objective of this study is to identify the causes of poor sleep health among collegiate athletes and to pinpoint practical strategies that can improve their sleep health. This literature review comprises multiple peer-reviewed journal papers published between 2014 to 2025. From June 2025 to July 2025, studies were compiled from multiple databases, including Google Scholar, SciSpace, Scholar AI, and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Library. The targeted demographic was collegiate and adult athletes. Included studies were published in peer-reviewed journals between the years of 2014 to 2025. Studies that did not pertain to college-aged athletes, effective sleep interventions, or athletes without comorbidities were excluded from the selection process. Studies that used animal models were also excluded from the selection. Studies that involved college-aged athletes or adults, identified causes of poor sleep, or explored effective sleep interventions, met the inclusion criteria. A total of 18 studies met this criterion and were included in this review. A meta- analysis was conducted.

Results

Student-athletes may experience sleep disturbances due to intense physical training, pressure to perform in sports, and travel associated with sports. In addition, poor sleep environments and medical conditions can also have a significant impact on the sleep health of collegiate athletes. Diet, alcohol, social media, and hydration status have also been shown to affect sleep health.

Conclusion

Enhancements at the individual, institutional, and medical professional levels are urgently required to significantly improve sleep health among collegiate athletes. Providing collegiate athletes with programs such as sleep and nutrition education, in addition to implementing sleep hygiene recommendations, has been shown to be effective. Implementing efficacious screening tools and treatments like OMT will aid in improving sleep health.